Electronic devices are known to generate heat and often require cooling in order to be maintained at an optimum operating temperature. Conventional liquid cooling apparatus are known in the art. Reference is made to conventional apparatus described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,109,707; 4,938,279; 4,879,632; 4,997,032; 5,000,256; and 5,040,051. These apparatus typically use a plastic bag or some other type container in which a cooled liquid is circulated. When the container is close to the electronic equipment, the electronic equipment is cooled and can be maintained at an optimum operating temperature.
Electronic equipment, such as printed circuit boards, tends to have sharp protrusions including edges and soldered connections. Moreover, it is known that electronic equipment is very sensitive to liquids since liquids can serve to corrode or short out the electronic components. However, many of the conventional containers employ membranes such as thin plastic that can easily tear. In conventional apparatus, a physical inspection is required to determine whether a leak has occurred. Therefore, a limitation of known apparatus is that they do not offer adequate protection against liquid leaks in order to prevent damage from occurring to the electronic components.
A goal of the invention is to overcome the identified limitations and to provide an apparatus that combines the benefit of liquid cooling and also provides a technique for access to detecting a leak in the cooling apparatus, prior to damage taking place, and protecting electronic components from any leakage.